


Everything You Touch

by lazyDaysie



Series: Everything, Everything; Gold, Gold [1]
Category: Dragon Quest Series, Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Acting in anger, Alternate Universe - Character Swap, Gen, I finally wrote something gen, Major spoilers for Act II, Siblings fighting, You've been warned, so many spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-08-04 00:37:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16336409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazyDaysie/pseuds/lazyDaysie
Summary: AU where Erik is the one who was turned to gold by Mia during a brutal argument, and she, disguised as her brother, joins the Luminary instead, hoping to break the curse.





	Everything You Touch

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Gold by Imagine Dragons. Not a songfic.

Gold. Gold vases, gold pots… and a gold cup in Mia’s hands.

“You’ve been at it again, huh?” Erik sighed.

Mia just giggled, turning the gold cup around in her hands and admiring its shine in the light. “What’s the matter, Erik? Jealous of my treasures?” She grinned widely up at him. “Tell you what – if you ask me really, _really_ nicely, I’ll let you have one!”

Mia hemmed and hawed for a moment – just for show, mind – and snatched up the golden seagull, offering it proudly to Erik. Mia knew he liked birds, and she wanted to see his eyes light up at the sight of what she made for him. His reaction wasn’t quite what she’d expected, though.

Horror widened Erik’s eyes. “Mia… this isn’t right! That bird was alive, and now it’s… it’s _trapped_!” ‘Just like us,’ Erik didn’t say.

“There’s no need to shout!” Mia retorted, casting the bird aside and getting to her feet angrily. “If you wanted something bigger, all you had to do was _ask_ , greedy guts!”

Mia stalked toward her pile of golden treasures, aiming to find something bigger – _something that would wipe that horrible look off of Erik’s face_ – when Erik made a loud noise of frustration, and she turned back with a scowl.

“Seriously, Mia, it’s not funny!” Erik’s eyes were narrow with anger. “This has to stop!”

A flash of temper. “Hey, you’re the one who _gave_ me this thing!” Mia pointed out.

“Well, maybe I shouldn’t have!” he said, stepping toward her.

Mia recoiled, one hand hovering over the necklace. Her birthday gift, the one that had made her so _happy_ … was Erik going to take it back?

“No, it’s _mine_!” Mia said, stepping away. “You can’t take it!”

“Mia, you’re getting too carried away in all of this,” Erik said. He kept coming, reaching for the pendant. “Seriously, I’m worried about you!”

Mia danced away from the incoming hand; years of dealing with the Vikings made her good at dodging. “Are you? Or are you just _jealous_?”

“Mia, _please_.” Erik sounded exasperated. “Just take off the necklace.”

“No!”

Mia kept avoiding his grabs for it until she realized that he’d backed her into a corner. Her back against the stone wall of their cave, the only thing she could do was –

“Just give it to me, we can sell off the gold and get out of h–”

“ _Shut up_!” Mia screamed, pushing Erik away with both hands. “I’m _tired_ of listening to you complain about this _gift_!”

But Erik wasn’t listening anymore. Slowly, from the center of his chest, his shirt… no, his chest… no, _Erik_ was turning to–

“Mia…?” Erik looked at her with wide eyes. “Mia, why…?”

No. This wasn’t what she meant.

“I, no, I just… wanted you to stop talking!” She rushed forward, but Erik skittered away, hands held up defensively.

“Don’t touch me!” Even so, the gold kept spreading. “Mia, what do we do?!”

“I, I don’t know!” Mia shouted, clutching the pendant. “I don’t–”

Erik’s breathing sped up as he was slowly encased, _transformed_. Mia had never seen him look so afraid.

“No!”

“Mia, you have to–!”

“ _ERIK_!”

**Loading . . .**

It was two days before Mia was able to leave the cave and her golden brother. In that time, she cut her hair, stole some of Erik’s clothes so that every inch of her skin was covered… anything to make the world outside believe that she was him. Except, except… at Puerto Valor, where she changed ships, she couldn’t tell people her brother’s name.

“Your _name_ , boy,” the sailor growled.

“M… Midas,” Mia said at last. “My name is Midas.”

**Loading . . .**

Years went by as Midas traveled, gaining a reputation as a thief as she threw herself into adventure, trying to forget what she’d done and keeping her skin completely covered to prevent more… accidents. Still, she couldn’t quite forget, since she never quite gave up on a cure. Blessed items, ancient artifacts and more: Midas was the name of a thief who could get to anything.

Downtown Heliodor was a stinking hole of lightfingers and vagabonds; needless to say, Midas fit right in. In a ramshackle “tavern” famous for its pretty dancer, Midas sat in a dark corner, watching the thugs drink. She figured once they were drunk enough, she could easily lift a few coin purses, and they’d never even notice they’d been robbed.

As she walked out, her purse much heavier than it was going in, she bumped into some middle-aged woman. She would’ve mumbled an apology, except for what she said.

“Mia?”

Midas flinched; _who could possibly_ – but it was no one she knew.

“The name’s _Midas_ , lady,” Midas growled to conceal her panic. “Mia’s a _girl’s_ name.”

The woman chuckled with what almost sounded like _affection_. “My apologies… _Midas_.”

Midas shuffled nervously. “Don’t worry about it.” She started to head off when the lady called out to her.

“May I speak with you a moment?” the woman asked. “It won’t take long.”

Midas rolled her eyes. “What, you want to hire me?”

“In a manner of speaking,” she said, walking closer to Midas.

Midas stepped back – _can’t let her get too close_ – one gloved hand reaching for her dagger. “Okay,” she said, cautious. Someone calling her _Mia_ … She wouldn’t take any chances.

“You must attempt to steal the Red Orb of Heliodor,” the woman said.

Midas laughed outright. “ _Attempt_? Lady, do you know who I am?”

“I do, in fact,” she said. “Do _you_?”

Midas narrowed her eyes. “And just who are you, exactly?”

“Some call me the Seer,” the woman said. “It works well enough.”

“Well, _Seer_ ,” Midas drawled, “why should I steal a national treasure?”

“Because,” the Seer said patiently, “your journey to find it will lead you underground, where you will meet the Luminary. If you trust in him, you will receive what you most desire.”

“What, riches untold?” Midas scoffed. “I’ve heard this line before.”

“ _Forgiveness_ ,” the Seer pronounced.

Mia froze. She had craved it for years, a remission, to break the curse she’d unwittingly placed on her brother in a moment of thoughtless anger. How could this woman _know_ …?

The Seer placed a gentle hand on Mia’s shoulder, startling her from her thoughts.

“Just think about it; a thief as great as you?” The Seer laughed. “You are certain to get what you need.”

**Loading . . .**

Midas never should’ve bought into that Seer’s line. Heck, she was probably the one who told the guards who stole the damn Orb.

Sitting in her cell, escape tunnel one stone wall away from completion, Midas had a lot of time to think.

Erik.

She closed her eyes. By the drifts, she wished he was there with her. It didn’t matter how awful things got, how cold or hungry they were; when Erik was there, everything felt like it would get better.

There was a rattling sound as a door was opened, and some kid was frogmarched to a cell and tossed inside by Sir Hendrik himself. What an honor, Midas scoffed, pulling her hood up to see if that might muffle the noise.

 _‘Darkspawn?’_ Midas raised an eyebrow. Did anyone really believe such nonsense?

Oh well. Tonight, it wouldn’t be her problem anymore.

Except that her new neighbor was the _Luminary_.

“Just like the Seer said,” Midas muttered as they escaped together through the tunnel.

**Loading . . .**

“The name’s Midas, by the way!”

Maybe, if she trusted in the Luminary, in this naïve boy with his clean hands and glowing Mark of Destiny, just maybe…

Maybe everything she touched wouldn’t turn cold.

**—Fin**


End file.
